The History, Design and Present State of the Religious, Benevolent and Charitable Institutions, Founded by the British in Calcutta and Its Vicinity/Calcutta School Society
CALCUTTA
SCHOOL SOCIETY.A noble spirit of benevolent emulation appears, peculiarly about this period, to have animated the Community of Calcutta. A twelve-month had hardly elapsed since the establishment of the School Book Society, when another Association was formed with the same ultimate object for the promotion of education, though one distinguishing feature in the principles of the School Book Society, was not avowedly adopted by the new Institution at the time of it’s first organization. The School Society, did not then pledge themselves to the exclusive mode of proceeding to which the rules of the School Book Society bind the latter. This discrepancy of opinion formed the chief, if not the only obstacle which prevented the consolidation of the designs of the two Associations. The views of both were directed to the promotion of moral and intellectual improvement among the Natives of India. If the avowed object of the Calcutta School Book Society be the preparation, publication, and cheap or gratuitous supply of works, useful in Schools and Seminaries of learning, the leading design of the School Society was to assist and improve existing Schools, and to establish and support any further Schools and Seminaries which may be requisite, and to prepare select pupils of distinguished talents by superior instruction for becoming Teachers and Translators. Such congenial purposes might easily have been reconciled, but for the cause above adverted to: experience, however, has demonstrated that the separation of the two Sister Institutions, by multiplying active agents in the general cause, has been productive of more extensive advantage than their coalition would have been able to effect.
This Society was instituted on the 1st of September, 1818, and adopted the following rules.
1.—That an Association be formed, to be denominated “the Calcutta School Society.”
2.—That it’s design be to assist and improve existing Schools, and to establish and support any further Schools and Seminaries which may be requisite; with a view to the more general diffusion of usual knowledge amongst the Inhabitants of India of every description, especially within the provinces subject to the Presidency of Fort William.
3.—That it be also an object of this Society to select pupils of distinguished talents and merit from elementary and other Schools, and to provide for their instruction in Seminaries of a higher degree; with the view of forming a body of qualified Teachers and Translators, who may be instrumental in enlightening their countrymen, and improving the general system of education. When the funds of the Institution may admit of it, the maintenance and tuition of such pupils, in distinct Seminaries, will be an object of importance.
4.—That it be left to the discretion of a Committee of Managers to adopt such measures as may appear practicable and expedient for accomplishing the objects above stated, whenever local wants and facilities may invite.
5.—That no system of education shall be introduced, nor any book used in the Schools, under the exclusive control of this Society, without the sanction of the Committee of Managers; and that the School-books approved by the Committee, as far as they may be procurable from the Calcutta School-book Society, shall be obtained from that Association.
6.—That in furtherance of the objects of this Society Auxiliary School Associations, founded upon it’s principles, be recommended and encouraged throughout the country; and especially at the principal cities and stations.
7.—That a Committee of Managers for conducting the business of this institution be elected annually, at a general meeting of Subscribers to be held in the month of January, at the Town Hall of Calcutta.
8.—That the Committee, inclusive of official Members, consist of twenty four persons; of whom sixteen to be Europeans, or their descendants, and eight natives of India; and that five Members constitute a quorum.
9.—That the Committee do associate with themselves, as ex-officio Members, a Treasurer and Collector, or European and Native Recording Secretary, an European and Native Corresponding Secretary, with as many other Secretaries of Sub-Committees, as the business of the Society may render necessary.
10.—That all persons, subscribing any sum annually to the Funds of this institution, shall be considered members of the Society, be entitled to vote at the annual election of managers, and be themselves eligible to the Committee.
11.—That the Committee be empowered to fill up from among the members of the Society, any vacancies that may happen in their own number, and in the official situations above specified, within the period of one annual election of managers and another.
12.—That the Committee be also empowered to call a general meeting of the members of the Society, whenever circumstances may appear to require it.
13.—That the names of Subscribers and benefactors, and a statement of receipts and disbursements, be published annually, with a report of the proceedings of the Committee.
For the more efficient prosecution of the plans of the Society, the Committee divided themselves into three Sub-Committees, for the distinct execution of three principal objects, one for the establishment and support of a limited number of regular Schools, two for aiding and improving the indigenous Schools of the country that is. Seminaries originated and supported by the natives themselves, and three for the education of a select number of pupils in English and in some higher branches of tuition.It was the wish of the General Committee to create a few regular or as they were termed “nominal” Schools, rather to improve, by serving as models, than to supercede the established Seminaries of the Country, designed rather to educate Children of the native poor, than the numerous youth whose parents are able and willing to pay for their instruction. It was evident, that however abundantly the public liberality might be evinced, gratuitous education could not be afforded to any extent commensurate with the immense numbers who might be candidates for it. Indeed, though the Funds of the Society had been supplied with considerable munificence,[1] it was soon found expedient to transfer the three regular Schools which had been planted in the vicinity of Calcutta, to the superintendance of the Corresponding Committee of the Church Missionary Society. The charges for three Schools absorbed nearly two thirds of the Society’s annual income, an expenditure at one time nearly equal to the support of the numerous indigenous Schools. This branch, therefore, necessarily became the chief object of the Society, in the accomplishment of which they were eminently successful. It was ascertained that the Schools of this description amounted to not more than 190 Bengallee Schools, averaging 22 pupils each, or 4180 Children under instruction, from a population at the lowest estimate of 7,50,000 natives. The paucity of this number was in some degree accounted for by the circumstance, that a great part of the population of Calcutta is composed of young men, who having received a common education in their native Villages, had come to the Metropolis for employment, leaving their families behind; and also that with very few exceptions the Hindoo Girls were excluded from the number.
The state of education in these Schools was found to be deplorably defective, being almost entirely confined to the writing of the Alphabet and figures, and a very imperfect knowledge of Arithmetic. Reading was not practised, nor orthography acquired; for, although a very few of the more advanced Boys were in the habit of transcribing extracts from the most popular poetical compositions of the Country, yet, the manuscript copy itself being very inaccurate, they only became confirmed in a vitiated manner of spelling. In order to remedy these crying defects, depositories for the distribution of the School Book Society’s publications were established, and the Masters of the Schools encouraged to apply for books, a large portion of which persons availed themselves of the invitation.
Through the activity of the native Secretary to the Institution, the superintendance of the Society was extended to many of the Seminaries in question, and the city having been divided into convenient districts, was placed under the guidance of four native gentlemen warmly interested in the success of the scheme, in each of whose houses a select quantity of the School Book Society’s publications is kept for the purpose of ready distribution.
Separate examinations of the head boys are held with due formality, and a more public one annually, under the inspection of the general Committee of the Society at the houses of the native Superintendants; at which times prizes are conferred with reference to the character and progress of the scholars during the year. According also to the proficiency of the pupils of each School, the tutors themselves are classified, and pecuniary rewards granted to them as an encouragement to exertion. Thus, through this judicious mode of proceeding, an interest is excited in the minds of teachers as well as pupils, calculated to conciliate the attachment and gratitude of all.
It is time to advert to the department placed under the third Sub-Committee, the purpose of which was to lead on native pupils to a knowledge of the English language and the higher branches of tuition.
It will be recollected that the Society did not confine itself to the single object of elementary tuition. It was the opinion of the Society that no plan for enlightening the mass of the people could succeed, without the adoption of systematic measures for providing a body of qualified teachers and translators from among themselves. These will be eminently useful by their instructions, conversation, and writings, in diffusing just Page:History, Design and Present State of the Religious, Benevolent and Charitable Institutions.djvu/190 Page:History, Design and Present State of the Religious, Benevolent and Charitable Institutions.djvu/191 Page:History, Design and Present State of the Religious, Benevolent and Charitable Institutions.djvu/192 ing, are, at a proper time, to be removed for superior education at the College. From the extension of this system, it is supposed that the spirit of emulation among the native youth will be additionally excited, as it will enable many to look for removal to this School, who cannot expect advancement to the College, since the information necessary for the former is much less than for the latter. Parents will also keep their boys longer at the indigenous Schools than before, in the hope of benefiting by this increased tuition, and the profits, respectability, and usefulness of the native tutors will be augmented.
It may be interesting shortly to advert to the mode in which the Examinations are conducted, and to the results that have been produced. The total number of boys educated in the indigenous Schools exceeds 2,800. To collect so many children from different and distant parts of the town, is not desirable, even were it practicable, but a small portion only of the more advanced boys, from all the divisions, amounting to about 150, are selected for examination. The first annual exhibition of this description took place in 1822, at which time also forty poor Bengallee girls from the female department of the Bengal Christian School Society were present. The boys belonging to the indigenous Schools were examined in spelling, reading, and writing the Bengallee language, the common rules of arithmetic, and in geography, both general, and in particular relation to that of Hindoostan. The students, whose education at the native Hindoo College, is defrayed at the expense of the Society, were examined in the English language, in reading, writing, and spelling; and those more advanced, in the translation of English into Bengallee. The whole examination gave the greatest satisfaction to the spectators, and afforded a well grounded hope of progressive advancement. This expectation has been justified by the result of subsequent examinations of the elder boys. Several of the youths educated by the Society in the Hindoo College have obtained respectable situations in life, some of whom, and others still in the College have established evening Schools for the communication of gratuitous instruction in the English language.
Like the sister Institution, however, the School Society ascertained after some experience, that their funds were inadequate to the permanent maintenance of their liberal plans. The calls of the indigenous department alone were sufficient to absorb all the income at their disposal, while the expences of their pupils at the Hindoo College remained to be provided for. Application was accordingly made to the Government for pecuniary assistance. The solicitation was complied with. The Government after again adverting to the prudent and considerate attention to the religious opinions of the great body of the people, which it is so essentially necessary to observe in order to prevent any misapprehension of the object of the undertaking to ameliorate the moral and intellectual conditions of the natives, granted an allowance of 500 rupees per mensem, expressing at the same time a reliance on the Society’s continued adherence to the cautious and restrictive principles on which it appeared hitherto to have proceeded. It should not be supposed that any distrust was conveyed in these observations, but it must be recollected that the originally declared objects of this Institution were not so unequivocal, as those announced by the School Book Society, and that the government could not, either consistently or wisely Page:History, Design and Present State of the Religious, Benevolent and Charitable Institutions.djvu/196
- ↑ At the end of the first year the Donations amounted to above ten thousand Rupees, and the annual Subscriptions to nearly half that Sum.